Building block



June 27,- 1933. P 1 MAUL I 1,915,896

BUILDING BLOCK Filed Aug. 16. 1930 Patented .lune 27, 1933 p UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PETER'JZ MAUL, 0F IDE'ILIRJOI'L,l MICHIGAN BUILDING BLOCK Application led August 16, 1930. Serial No. 475,796.

a sheet metal panel having rearwardly ellitending flanges, portions of which are turped inwardv and embedded in the concrete body portion. The inner surface of the sheet metv al panel is preferably provided with a coating' which adheres to `both'the sheet metal and the concrete. In larger sized blocks, anchoring devices .are preferably secured to the inner surfaces of the sheet metal anels to hold Ithe central portions thereo against movement away from the concrete. body portions whenv the panels4 are subjected to changes in temperature.

Many other objects and advantages will .25 become apparent as the following description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building block which embodies the invention;

' Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2 2,

of Figure 1, and- Figure 3 is a section through a mold and illustrates the manner in which the improved building blocks are fabricated.

Referring to the drawing wherein a pre- *erred form of the invention is illustrated, f the reference character 10 designates generalf ly a buildin block which comprises a body portion 11, `rormed from concrete and faced 4 with a sheet metal `panel or cap 12.

Any suitable mixture ,of cement and a gregate may be employed to form. the boy portion 11, but I preferablyemploy-a mixture of suitable cement and porous burned shale. Concrete formed from a 'mixture'of cement and porous burned shale is relatively light and it does not`distintegrate when it is subjected to a relatively high temperature.-

lThe sheet metal panel, or. cap 12, is pref- 59 erably formed from a non-ferrous metal, or

a stainless' steel.V Thus the panel or .capl

may be formed with advantage from copper, bronze, aluminum, etc., or from an alloy. In this instance, the sheet metal panel 12, comprises a front wall 13, which covers one surface of the body portion 11. Formed integral with the front wall 13, are rearwardly extending flanges 14, which terminate in inwardly projecting flanges 15,' embedded in the body portion. The corners formed by the flanges 14, are preferably soldered, as indicated at 16.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the inner surface of the panel, or cap 12, is coated with an adhesive substance which adheres to both the vpanel or cap and the body 'portion 11, the coating being identified by the reference character 18. Any suitable substance'may be employed for the coating 18, but I prefer-v ably employ a mixture of asphalt and an v aggregate, the aggregate being crushed marble, Ha dite, or the equivalent, for the purpose.n practice I have found it advantageous to have the aggregate constitute about 20% of the coating 18'. The purpose of the aggregate is to stiifen the coating 18, so that 4 it will not tend to fuse and run when it is subjected to summer temperatures, etc.

Soldered or otherwise secured to the inner surface of the front wall 13, are anchoring devices 20, embedded in the body portion 11, in such manner that they prevent movement of the central portion of the wall 13, in a direction away from the body portion; .This construction is advantageous when it is embodied in blocks of relatively large dimensions,^as the front walls 13, will not buckle when they are heated to relatively high temperatures by the rays of the sun, etc.

The improved blocks are preferably fabricated by employing a mold, or the equiv-4 alent, as indicated at 22 in Fig. 3, the panelv or cap 12, beingplaced face downwards in themold,l as shown. The coating 18, may be applied to the panel or cap while it is in the mold, or it may be applied prior to that time. A mixture ofy the concrete is then poured or tamped, as the case may be, in the mold and permitted to cure, after Which the completed block is removed from the mold.v

The blocks may be of any suitable dimensions. F or instance, the invention has been embodied in a block which was 12 inches high by 12 inches wide, and 4 inches thick..

:Ihe coating 18, not only functions as a binder between the panel 12 and the body portion 11, but also protects the inner surface of the panel from the corrosive action of moisture which may vseep through the body portion. Of course, the material forming the coating 18, is preferably heatedito a fluid state before it is applied to the panel.

Having thus described my invention it is obvious that various immaterial mod-ificatons Amay be made in the same without departingv from the spirit of my invention; hence, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of panels herein shown and described, or uses menv tioned. What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

A building block comprising a body portion of concrete, a sheet metal member covering the front surface of said body portion and provided with rearwardly extending flanges at opposite side edges thereof, said flanges forming portions of the side surfaces of said block and'being provided at their rear edges with inwardly extendin integral tongue members firmly embedde in said body portion, metallic anchoring devices secured to the back surface of said metal member and firmly embedded in said body portion, and a layer of plastic adhesive material between said sheet metal member and said body portionl In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature, this 7th day of August, 1930.

PETER. J. MAUL. 

